Through the power of IMAX, Hubble enables movie-goers to journey through distant galaxies to explore the grandeur and mysteries of our celestial surroundings and to accompany space-walking astronauts as they attempt the most difficult and important tasks...

Set against the wondrous backdrop of the sweeping Nile and the majestic Giza pyramids, this film takes you on an engaging journey through the Land of the Pharaohs. Mysteries of Egypt is showing one time only, on Monday, April 6, at noon, as part of the...

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Show Returns March 14, 2015
The magic is back in San Diego! The Reuben H. Fleet Science Center welcomes back Jason Latimer, the World Champion of Magic and judge on Syfy's Wizard Wars, to the Heikoff Giant Dome Theater for a special...

Film Opens Friday, March 27
Through visually stunning imagery, and in collaboration with leading space experts, Journey To Space showcases the exciting plans NASA and the space community are working on to take humans further into space than ever before...

Dive In to the Newest Giant Screen Adventure!
An extraordinary journey into the mysterious world of one of nature’s most awe-inspiring marine mammals, Humpback Whales takes audiences to Alaska, Hawaii and the Kingdom of Tonga for an immersive look at...

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls: Step right up! CIRCUS: Science Under the Big Top is coming to San Diego!
Discover the science behind the spectacle while performing acrobatics in mid-air, learning the art of contortion and performing...

Please note: Saturday, April 11th, Don’t Try This at Home will open at 1:15 p.m. for our first show of the day.
Stand back: We're doing science! Don't Try This at Home is a series of new live shows that explore science that's too messy, too noisy and too...

In conjunction with the Center for Ethics in Science and Technology, the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center welcomes guests to encounter science from an ethical viewpoint. Held on select Wednesdays, from October through June, this ongoing series brings...

Join us on the first Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. or 8:15 p.m. for a tour of the solar system narrated by the Fleet’s astronomer. Journey through the cosmos with us as we explore a new topic each month.
For optimal viewing, each show is limited to...

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Young Scientists is a hands-on preschool science program offered by the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center. This program provides informal learning experiences that support and enhance exploration, create excitement and facilitate scientific...

Join us for the Tinkerers’ Club on Saturdays in the Tinkering Studio! Dream it, create it, and take it home!
Tinkerers are invited to learn new skills and make awesome take-home projects! Open to tinkerers of all ages (tinkerers 12 and under require an...

Come to the Tinkering Studio on Saturdays to participate in hands-on activities that allow for minds of all ages to be creative and innovative in a variety of topics. From catapults to rockets, families are welcome to join in our Saturday tinkering with...

The first Monday of every month, seniors 65 and better can enjoy the Science Center exhibits, a show in the Heikoff Giant Dome Theater and a lecture on the quietest day of the month for only $8! No coupons or additional discounts are accepted. The Fleet'...

As a thank you to San Diego County residents, the Fleet offers Residents’ Free Tuesday on the first Tuesday of each month.
Free Gallery Admission
Free gallery admission applies to San Diego City and County residents and active-duty military. ID is...

Each month, a different local scientist, engineer or researcher will share their passion for what they do and provide information that will be useful in your classroom. We will focus on connecting the real science happening in San Diego with the Next...

All aboard for a wonderful IMAX® giant screen experience by award-winning filmmaker Stephen Low, weaving together spectacular aerial cinematography, archival photographs and maps and the potent energy and rhythms of a live steam locomotive to immerse audiences in this remarkable story from the age of steam, for the ultimate in railway travel.

Rocky Mountain Express received top honors for Best Film and was awarded Best Film Short Subject and Best Cinematography by the Giant Screen Cinema Association (GSCA). Rocky Mountain Express propels audiences on a present-day steam train journey through the breathtaking vistas of the Canadian Rockies and relates the extraordinary story of the building of the nation’s first transcontinental railway. The completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) in 1885 ranks among the greatest engineering feats in history. Ride the rails along deep river canyons and over high mountain passes—discover some of the most beautiful and rugged landscapes on Earth, and join in the human drama and epic engineering that shaped a continent.

Cosmic Collisions is a spectacular immersive digital theater experience narrated by award-winning actor, director and producer Robert Redford. Featuring stunning images from space and breathtaking visualizations based on cutting-edge scientific data, it reveals the unimaginable, explosive encounters that shaped our solar system, changed the course of life on Earth and continue to transform our galaxy and dynamic universe. From subatomic particles to the largest galaxies, cosmic collisions are a universal force of nature. This new digital show offers an unprecedented and extraordinary view of the hypersonic events—both catastrophic and constructive—that have shaped our world and our universe.

“EXPLOR-O-RAMA ~

Get Your Hands On Science”

Our newest Main Gallery exhibition combines some of our all-time favorites with never-seen-before interactive exhibits from San Francisco’s Exploratorium. This collection features opportunities to explore mechanics, motion, math, hearing, electricity and many other interconnected areas of science— sometimes all at the same time! Look for new challenges with the Bicycle Wheel Gyro, Strobe Flower and Magnetic Wave Machine, and enjoy the return of popular favorites the Whisper Dishes, Tornado and Pedal Generator!

This exhibition has been funded in part by the County of San Diego

“NANO: Imagine and Discover a World You Can’t See!” is an interactive exhibition that engages family audiences with hands-on exhibits that present the basics of nanoscience and engineering, introduce some real-world applications and explore the societal and ethical implications of this new technology. “NANO” was created by the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network (NISE Network) with support from the National Science Foundation.

The iconic monarch butterfly is a true marvel of nature. It weighs less than a penny, yet it makes one of the longest migrations on Earth across a continent, with pinpoint navigational accuracy, to a secluded place it has never been. Join the monarchs' perilous and extraordinary journey while following an intrepid scientist’s 40-year search to find the monarchs’ secret hideaway. Featuring breathtaking cinematography, an award-winning production team, a true scientific mystery, and hundreds of millions of real butterflies.

An extraordinary journey to the top of the world, the ultimate tale of survival. A mother polar bear and her two seven-month-old cubs navigate the changing Arctic wilderness they call home. Captivating, adventurous and intimate footage of their struggle to survive in a frigid environment of melting ice, immense glaciers, spectacular waterfalls and majestic snow-bound peaks.

2013 Summer Solstice Begins at 5:04UTC on Friday, June 21!

1)

Join the Notorious Radical Scientists Gang as They Return to the Fleet for BIG BUILD 2 at BLOCKBUSTERS!, as it Returns to the Rotunda Gallery on SATURDAY, JUNE 22. Architects, Take Your Marks!

What:

Known for their flash-build capabilities and awesome skyscrapers, architect/Tinkering Studio Coordinator Bruce Gemmell and his notorious Radical Scientists Gang will be reunited this Saturday for BIG BUILD 2! Who could resist the cleaned, shined and completely refurbished BlockBusters! in the Rotunda Gallery? The Gang will take the 16,000 crisp new blocks, bins and newly resurfaced tables and create an amazing structure for visitor inspiration! We welcome the return of all bridge-builders, skyscraper-creators and random fantasy shape-designers and encourage them to spread their creations throughout the Rotunda Gallery and resume taking on challenges of how big to build—not to mention what fun it is to knock it all down afterwards!

When:

Big Build 2: Saturday, June 22, 3PM; BlockBusters! is open daily

Where:

Reuben H. Fleet Science Center

Cost:

Activities included with admission.

2)

Let the Games Begin––The Robot Warriors of iARoC Return to the Fleet––Saturday & Sunday, June 29–30!

What:

The 6th Annual International Autonomous Robotics Competition (iARoC) brings the thrill of victory—and cash prizes from $250–$1000—back to the Fleet, courtesy of Wintriss Technical School. Team members will build an autonomous robot of PVC pipe that can find its way through a set of fixed obstacles, locate an infrared and visible home station beacon and activate a mechanical push-action switch at the home station. Each team may use only one robot for all challenges: Urban, Gold Rush and Drag Race. All Fleet visitors are welcome to view the competition in the Community Forum in the stanchioned-off area.

When:

Saturday, June 29 & Sunday, June 30; 9AM–5PM

Where:

Reuben H. Fleet Science Center

Cost:

Gallery Admission (access to all eight exhibit galleries):

Adults $11.75; Children/Seniors $9.75

3)

COSMIC COLLISIONS Has Amazing Co-Stars for Every Performance––Relentless Night, Summer Sky Show and Comets 2013––and Will Run Through the Summer!

What:

Planetarium producer John Young has been a busy man, adding stellar content to our daily showing of Cosmic Collisions! The enchanting Relentless Night features time-lapse photography of the telescopes on Hawaii's Mauna Kea, and a mesmerizing sound track by the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. Winner of Best of Fest at Domefest 2012, it is actually a short section of Awesome Light, a much longer piece produced by the Imiloa planetarium and Sky-Skan. The Summer Sky Show looks at the current night sky and closely examines the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST, to be launched in 2018) and the Chandra X-Ray Observatory (launched in 1999).JWST’s ability to view infrared light will enable it to see through interstellar dust and look back into the time of the formation of the universe to see the first galaxies that were formed, as well as many other objects. Chandra views the universe in the X-ray spectrum, allowing it to focus on hot regions such as exploded stars, clusters of galaxies and matter around black holes. Comets 2013 is a close look at the celestial visitors expected overhead during 2013, focusing on ISON and PANSTARRS. Don’t miss this great space show!

Space Geek Team Member & JPL/NASA Solar Ambassador Jerry Hilburn Will Share His Knowledge on Juno Mission to Jupiter for Senior Monday––Then Avoid Being Sucked Into Planetarium Show Black Holes!

What:

Juno, a NASA New Frontiers mission to Jupiter, was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on August 5, 2011. The spacecraft is to be placed in a polar orbit to study the planet's composition, gravity field, magnetic field and polar magnetosphere, along with searching for clues about how Jupiter formed. It will also study Jupiter's deep winds, which can reach speeds of 384 mph. Hilburn, an active member in the San Diego Astronomy Association, tracks PHA's Exosolar data collection, teaches newcomers astronomy and shoots images for his website http://aisig.sdaa.org. As the parent of two budding scientists, he feels the most important message we can send to children is that there is great opportunity in the future of space exploration, and that they must prepare now for that future by learning and questioning and exploring the space sciences. The first Monday of the month, seniors 65+ enjoy the Science Center exhibits, a lecture and a Giant Dome Theater show at a discount!

When:

Monday, July 1; 12:30PM lecture; 2PM theater show

Where:

Reuben H. Fleet Science Center

Cost:

$8- for seniors 65+

5)

Resident Astronomer Dr. Lisa Will Salutes Comic-Con (Geekitude) and the 44th Anniversary of the First Moon Landing with TO BOLDLY GO! EXPLORATION OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM at The Sky Tonight on Wednesday, JULY 3!

What:

For decades, humans have explored the solar system with manned and unmanned spacecraft. From stepping foot on the Moon to flying through the rings of Saturn, our spacecraft have boldly explored the solar system. In this month of Comic-Con and the 44th anniversary of the first moon landing, join us to celebrate the exploration of space. Our popular monthly live planetarium show of the sky in SD that night reaches a new level of stunning full-color visuals and incredibly realistic simulations of cosmic phenomena with our new state-of-the-art digital GSX™ projection system. A professional astronomer leads backyard stargazers through the universe. Weather and operational requirements permitting, the SD County Astronomy Association provides free telescope viewing outdoors on the Prado in Balboa Park. This is a separate event held on the first Wednesday of each month.

The Results Are IN for the Fleet’s 40th Anniversary Fan Favorite IMAX® Film Festival—Fleet Fans Have Spoken—Here Are the Favorite Films We Will See This Summer!

What:

Nearly 600 fans submitted surveys with their top 3 favorites selected from a list of 16 possible films (plus write-ins). The top nine vote-earners will be featured in the Fan Favorite Film Festival this summer at the Fleet. One film will play twice a day each week, Friday through Thursday, from July 5 through September 5.

Films are slated to play as follows (start date is listed):

July 5: Hubble

July 12: Yellowstone

July 19: Dolphins

July 26: Adventures in Wild California

Aug 1: Mysteries of Egypt

Aug 9: Everest

Aug 16: Coral Reef Adventure

Aug 23: Lewis & Clark

Aug 30: Grand Canyon Adventure

Continuing to play are our popular IMAX films Flight of the Butterflies, To the Arctic and Rocky Mountain Express, and planetarium show Cosmic Collisions.

In order to raise the next generation of eco-warriors, Union Bank has generously made full weeklong scholarships available for any campers who request it for Green Engineering, Shocking Forces, EcoTech, Save the Planet or Secondhand Science camps. Any family with financial need can submit a scholarship application to our Client Services Department. Contact them at 619-238-1233, ext. 806 or purchase online; sibling and multi-camp discounts available. http://www.rhfleet.org/events/summer-camp

When:

June 24–August 23, 9AM–12 noon or 1PM–4PM

Where:

Reuben H. Fleet Science Center

Cost:

$110 per weekly camp; nonmember: $125 per weekly camp

8)

The Heikoff Giant Dome Theater—Our New Name for What Our Old-School Fans Still Call OmniMax—Now Plays Both Great IMAX Films and Planetarium Shows!

What:

The Fleet is home to Southern California’s only Giant Dome Theater, the Eugene Heikoff and Marilyn Jacobs Heikoff Giant Dome Theater. It’s the world’s first IMAX Dome Theater, featuring the world’s first NanoSeam™ Dome screen in an IMAX theater, and offers two unique experiences in one space: IMAX films and planetarium shows. The gigantic, hemispherical, 76-foot tilted and curved screen wraps the entire theater, offering an immersive viewing experience, enhancing the feeling of motion and giving you the sensation that you’re in the show. With a 16,000-watt digital surround sound system, it provides a stunning visual and audio experience.

IMAX is the world’s largest film format, yielding incredible clarity and spectacular images. IMAX films’ special projectors weigh as much as a small car and enable the incredible film images to be projected with brightness and clarity on the huge Dome screen.

Our state-of-the-art digital GSX™ Projection System’s planetarium shows allow audiences to journey to the outer reaches of space from the comfort of their theater seats courtesy of both pre-produced planetarium programs (some created by our own stellar in-house team!) and The Sky Tonight, a monthly live, astronomer-led planetarium show. The Fleet offers two options for hearing-impaired guests: closed-captions and assistive listening devices.

When:

Daily shows on the hour from noon to closing; 11AM to closing on weekends and during summer.

Cosmic Collisions––A spectacular immersive theater experience, narrated by award-winning actor, director and producer Robert Redford. Featuring stunning images from space and breathtaking visualizations based on cutting-edge scientific data—revealing the unimaginable, explosive encounters that shaped our solar system, changed the course of life on Earth and continue to transform our galaxy and dynamic universe.

IMAX® FILMS:

Rocky Mountain Express propels audiences on a steam train journey through the breathtaking vistas of the Canadian Rockies and highlights the adventure of building a nearly impossible transcontinental railway. Spectacular IMAX aerial cinematography, archival photographs and maps, and the potent energy and rhythms of a live steam locomotive immerse audiences in this remarkable story form the age of steam.

Flight of the Butterflies—The iconic monarch butterfly is a true marvel of nature. It weighs less than a penny, yet it makes one of the longest migrations on Earth across a continent, with pinpoint navigational accuracy, to a secluded place it has never been. You’ll join the monarchs' perilous and extraordinary journey while following an intrepid scientist’s 40-year search to find the monarchs’ secret hideaway. Featuring breathtaking cinematography, an award-winning production team, a true scientific mystery, and hundreds of millions of real butterflies, Flight of the Butterflies soars on the giant IMAX® Dome screen.

To The Arctic—An extraordinary journey to the top of the world, a compelling tale of survival, with global implications. A mother polar bear and her two seven-month-old cubs navigate the changing Arctic wilderness they call home. Captivating, adventurous, and intimate footage of their struggle to survive in a frigid environment of melting ice, immense glaciers, spectacular waterfalls, and majestic snow-bound peaks. Narrated by Oscar® winner Meryl Streep, audiences are transported to one of the most remote and spectacularly beautiful places in the world and experience an emotional story of love, family and hope. To The Arctic is now available En Español on the headsets, channel 3.

If you would like complimentary media tickets to visit the exhibitions or see an IMAX film or Digital show, please contact Susan Chicoine directly with your request: schicoine@rhfleet.org or (619) 685-5743 or (619) 325-9416/cell. Let me know what date works for you and how many you need, and I will leave passes at the will-call window in your name.

Celebrate Reuben H. Fleet Science Center’s 40TH ANNIVERSARY YEAR! Forty years ago, a spark ignited our imaginations! Join us in celebration of the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center and its 40 years of success in bringing hands-on science to our San Diego community. March 9, 1973, the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center opened its doors and brought interactive exhibits and the world’s first IMAX® Dome Theater to San Diego. Today, the Fleet inspires minds and connects individuals to science and technology through more than 100 “do touch” exhibits for all ages and amazing IMAX films and planetarium shows in the recently renovated Heikoff Giant Dome Theater. Our year-long celebration will feature blockbuster exhibitions, incredible events and dynamic educational experiences. Our staff and volunteers are dedicated to connecting individuals to science and technology, and we look forward to our next four decades of inspiring lifelong learning.

JUNE 23—Final Day for Origins of Life exhibit

JUNE 24—Astronomy Milestone: 30th Anniversary of the First American Woman in Space, Astronaut Sally Ride

JUNE 27–28—Astronomy Event: Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower—Meteor shower that will visible after 12am. Shower originates out of the constellation Aquarius. Remnants of Comet Mardson & Kracht.

JULY 2—FREE First Tuesday at the FLEET! Free admission to galleries for SD City/County residents, active-duty military, college students. Tickets for Giant Dome Theater shows are only $10. ID required.

MODs may need additional staff help.

JULY 3—Origami with Bruce Gemmell. The traditional art of paper folding has evolved into a venerable modern art form with solid foundations in math and science. A flat sheet of material is transformed into a finished sculpture through folding and sculpting techniques. Tinkering Studio Coordinator Gemmell has taught architecture both in the US and abroad. This event will be held the first Wednesday of each month. 4PM-7PM. Participation is included with gallery admission.

JULY 4––Extended summer hours begin; 10AM-6PM Daily.

JULY 6/13/20/27— Family Science Saturdays––Bio-Inspiration. Bio-Inspiration involves studying designs and processes found in nature and attempting to imitate these systems to solve human problems. We will explore Bio-Inspiration by scientifically analyzing our own experiences and imaginations. We’ll draw and build models to see what structures, processes and principles emerge and how they might be applied to human pursuits. You might even find a way to create or revolutionize an industry and change the world as we know it. Not a bad pastime for a Saturday afternoon. Activities included with admission. 1PM–3PM Note: this subject has been changed.

JULY 13—Saturday Science Club for Girls: Aerospace Challenge. Ready for some high-flying fun? Learn about the principles of flight by building gliders and rockets. Girls in grades 5–8 can join the Fleet on the second Saturday of each month to investigate exciting science topics. 12 noon–2PM; Members $12, nonmembers $14; must pre-register by calling (619) 238-1233 x806.

JULY 20—Astronomy Milestone: 44th Anniversary of the First Landing on the Moon

JULY 22—IMAX® en Español––Hubble. Stunning imagery of distant galaxies, the birth of stars and planets, plus NASA's last mission to service one of history's most important observatories. IMAX en Español is an opportunity for you and your family to enjoy IMAX films in Spanish. Additionally, headsets are always available free of charge for audiences to listen to available Spanish soundtracks when films with English soundtracks play. Admission includes one film and the Fleet’s exhibit galleries, which feature more than 100 hands-on exhibits for all ages. Many of our exhibits feature bilingual explanatory text. 4PM. Check www.rhfleet.org for updated prices.

JULY 29–AUGUST 2—Summer Fleet Inquiry Institute for K-8 Teachers. The Weeklong Fleet Inquiry Institute is open to K-8 teachers and is an entryway into the professional development programming at the Fleet Science Center. Join other teachers from throughout Southern California and experience inquiry as a learner, compare different approaches to teaching hands-on science, explore a variety of questioning strategies, rework current lesson plans to be more student-centered and strengthen your argument for using inquiry to teach science. This workshop is based upon the Fundamentals of Inquiry professional development program developed by the Exploratorium. Preference will be given to groups of teachers applying from the same school site. Space is limited, apply by July 19. 9AM–3PM. $20 registration/application process fee (fully refunded after you attend all 5 days of the institute).

About the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center

The Reuben H. Fleet Science Center (the Fleet) is home to Southern California's only Giant Dome Theater and 100+ hands-on science exhibits for all ages. Watch immersive giant-screen films in the Eugene Heikoff and Marilyn Jacobs Heikoff Giant Dome Theater, which reopened in 2012 after extensive renovations. Our theater is extraordinary in many ways. It is the world's first IMAX® Dome Theater, the world's first NanoSeam™ Dome screen in an IMAX theater, and it offers two unique experiences in one space: IMAX films and planetarium shows. The Heikoff Giant Dome Theater boasts a 76-foot tilted Dome screen and a 16,000-watt digital surround sound system, providing a stunning visual and audio experience. Experience eight galleries of fun, interactive exhibits, including major traveling exhibitions. A hurricane simulator thrills visitors with gusts of wind up to 80 miles per hour. Enjoy sandwiches, salads and healthy treats in Galileo's Café. Find unique educational toys and games, books, IMAX DVDs and more in the North Star Science Store. Located at 1875 El Prado, two blocks south of the San Diego Zoo on Park Blvd., the Fleet Science Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to furthering the public understanding and enjoyment of science and technology. For information regarding current admission prices, please call (619) 238-1233 or visit our website at www.rhfleet.org.